


Warm Ramen and Warmer Hearts

by usermechanics



Series: a very usermechanics christmas 2017 [5]
Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Dating, F/M, Food, Kissing, POV First Person, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 08:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13186014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usermechanics/pseuds/usermechanics
Summary: Sayaka wants to go to a ramen restaurant.





	Warm Ramen and Warmer Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Animizza](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Animizza).



> Merry Christmas! This was undoubtedly one of the most difficult things I've ever written for a menagerie of reasons.

"Come on!" Sayaka tugged on my arm: she found something of interest. Thankfully she chose quickly: we could have spent hours looking for an appropriate restaurant to compliment the concert. I followed. I didn't want to scavenge the rest of this town for the sake of a quality restaurant, and it could have led to disaster: what if Sayaka didn't like the places that I liked? I wouldn't want to outright ruin things for myself the first date--it was bad enough trying to figure out what I would look best in; I thought solid black would work, but she just looks, better? Stunning? I wouldn't know; light blue has always been her color, hasn't it?

I mean, if it weren't, I wouldn't want to know what was her color. She made a white ugly Christmas sweater work by having blue snowflakes on it, and by having it over a sky-colored long-sleeve shirt. Even if her coat covered it all, it was also in that color palette, along with her striped shorts alternating blue and white running parallel to her legs. The navy stockings she wore, too, sold the picture to me. All I hoped was that I wouldn't mess this date up; how on Earth could I find someone even to match her? She seemed cuddly during the concert, so hopefully that's something.

"I just remembered about this place! It'll take a bit of running to get to but I know you'll love it!"

Hopefully so. Even if she didn't say a lot about what foods her place was serving, hopefully it would be something that I'd like. Just as long as she didn't skimp out and choose fast food: it simply wouldn't work after Vivaldi. I doubt she would, though: someone squeezing my hand as tightly as she's doing right now would definitely not be sending me to a fast food joint for a date. At the very least, we're going somewhere?

Sayaka stopped immediately in front of a particularly small, cozy-looking wooden building, the only indication of its wares being a small chalkboard besides the door. _Ramen,_ it read. I looked perplexed at her. I wouldn't have guessed that Sayaka would have been a fan of ramen, but who am I to judge? Hopefully this place is great: it's something going to a restaurant with her but another entirely to have food I love with her. I took off my shoes and waited for her to do the same before entering.

The ramen shop was small and cozy with not a lot of people in it. Thankfully that was the case: there weren't a lot of tables and Sayaka didn't look like she wanted to wait for soup, especially as she was still catching her breath from our little excursion. Patting her on the back seemed to be enough to calm her further, along with a few words of relaxation. Sayaka pulled off her coat and then grabbed onto my arm.

"Thank you for going to the concert with me! I have always loved Vivaldi's music so much, and I'm happy I got to share it with someone!" She was hugging my arm tightly, almost as if she were afraid of letting go. As much as I liked the music that played, I didn't think that it was the best part of the concert: truth be told I was just glad that I could spend some time with Sayaka, no matter how much attention she spent listening and watching the performers.

"Table for two, please!" Sayaka didn't even notice that a host was standing in front of us, so I had to get the host to seat us. As soon as we had to move, I felt Sayaka letting go of all my arm but keeping a tight grasp on my hand, squeezing at my fingers.

When we reached our booth, Sayaka sat before I did. Grabbing one of the menus as I sat down, I opened it up and started looking at what this restaurant served: ramen. Ramen varieties I didn't even know existed on laminated pages, almost too much for me to comprehend. There was definitely something for everybody with the extensive variety, but it was almost too much. I should probably ask the expert.

"What would you recommend?"

"Don't worry! I know what we're getting. I think you'll love it!"

As much as I wanted to have faith in her on this, should I go with her judgment? I mean, this is a date, but at the same time... The waiter walked over and Sayaka already started talking with him. I bit my tongue and flushed red, quietly listening into what she was ordering for us. From the past dates I went on with her, her tastes seemed eclectic: I feared that she would select something which stared back at me while eating it, or worse, even.

"One big bowl, please, for two!"

At the very least, Sayaka didn't go for something outright ridiculous. An ordinary bowl of ramen.

"Thank you!"

God, now that the waiter left I was stuck sitting in front of Sayaka and it was all quiet and awkward. I needed to make small talk.

"So, uh, what did you think of the concert?"

"It was amazing!" Sayaka's eyes brightened and widened, a contagious smile forming on her face. "I'm actually a big fan of Vivaldi's works, and I think that they did a great job with it. Winter brought me almost to tears, actually. What did you think of it?"

I froze for a moment, trying to think of an answer. I couldn't just say outright that I went to the concert solely for her own benefit, and that I knew that she loved Vivaldi--hell, it was my idea to watch The Four Seasons be performed--but no amount of fiddling would have been able to replicate the brilliant smile she had for most of the concert. Yet, here I was sitting like an idiot trying to come up with something to say. Finally, words decided to come out.

"I liked it too."

That's it? All I could say was that minuscule blurb about how I liked it. I needed to keep speaking.

"I'm also a fan of Vivaldi and I'm glad we could watch it together."

"That's so sweet! I thought I was going to be thinking about Kyosuke during the concert, because of the Four Seasons being a series of concerti and all, but I didn't! I think I've finally gotten over him, and it's thanks to you!"

I tried speaking. I babbled instead. She giggled and I covered my mouth trying to recover from the embarrassment. Thank goodness the waiter had come out with the bowl of ramen. Singular bowl: there were no smaller bowls for us to pour soup into, just the one large bowl of ramen that separated me from Sayaka, and a few pairs of chopsticks so we could actually eat.

"Let's eat!"

Before I could even question it, Sayaka started slurping. She ate with all of the dignity of a hungry young woman eating ramen could possibly physically muster, and I admired her efforts. Leaning in, I brought my chopsticks to the ramen and started eating. For how cold it was outside, the ramen was delicious, warming me from the inside out with only a few slurps of noodles and broth.

As I watched some of the noodles come out of the broth from both ends, I could see exactly why Sayaka had chosen to get a large bowl for two. The noodles didn't exactly give easily, and in a nervous panic I bit down on the noodles, letting the severed ends land in the broth. I could see in the corner of my eye Sayaka's eyebrows furrowing, busy slurping on her noodles but knowing fully that I had snuffed something which she wanted to happen.

Yet, I didn't apologize. I lowered myself again and started slurping. I closed my eyes and kept slurping not caring about what was going to happen to me because I knew it was coming and if Sayaka didn't want it to happen she would have bitten on the noodles before the kiss began. Sayaka's lips felt warm and, despite the obvious ramen flavor, she tasted almost sweet. At the collision, and a few moments of realization that I was kissing her, I pulled away: Sayaka didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

That is, until I mumbled something about it.

"I, uh..."

She, too, started mumbling. This got awkward rather quickly. I looked over to her, she’s looking away, and when I looked away she started looking back at me. Yet, I felt something radiating from her, almost as if while I was embarrassed that I accidentally kissed her she was embarrassed the kiss was on accident.  
Back to eating, right. _Make sure to bite at the noodles at every chance you get to make sure that you’re not kissing her again,_ I told myself over and over in my head until I got sick of hearing it and then some.

Sayaka had to hold the opposite opinion, and at every attempt I made to avoid a kiss, she seemed to push herself forward, giving herself almost a reason to do so. I could feel my blood boiling and her lips soon started feeling cold against mine (I blame myself), and I couldn’t do anything about it: why should I, anyway?

* * *

After our little dinner session ended up becoming an excuse to make out over a table, it was time to take Sayaka home. Even though the day was long and made even better by spending time with her, good things like this must come to an end eventually. Maybe I could have convinced her to let me stay the night, but I horribly doubted that. She probably had something more important and needed the sleep. It was Sunday, after all. I didn’t ask. I couldn’t.

“So, uh... that was a great night.”

“It was the best night I’ve ever had! I’m so glad that we got to go skating, watch a concert, and eat dinner together! Can we do this next week, too?”

I was about to die from shock when I heard that. I never thought I would hear that come from her and I thought I was being an idiot asking her on a date but she actually said yes and she’s asking for another date oh yes please let this happen next week let this happen every week Sayaka please understand that--

“Of course!”

I didn’t stammer.

“So, I should get some sleep, I have a big day ahead of me, but thank you so much for everything!”

A few moments of silence between us, and I didn’t notice we were leaning into one another until our lips met for the final time that night. The ramen had diminished the flavor of her lips in every way: words couldn’t describe how they tasted and how soft they were. Sayaka didn’t put much energy into it, but she didn’t need to: all she needed to do was languidly press her tongue against my lower lip, and I understood everything. Her tongue felt warm and I wanted to pinch myself because I was definitely dreaming. Even if it had lasted the whole of three seconds, it felt like forever to me, and there was almost a wave of sadness collectively crashing through us as we pulled apart. She turned around with a coy smile and looked back to me.

“Next week?”

“Next week.”

**Author's Note:**

> I watched Madoka with the sole purpose of writing this fic.


End file.
